Paris 1961

Algerians, State Terror, and Memory

Jim House and Neil MacMaster

Uncovers the truth about one of the most controversial episodes in contemporary French history

Draws on previously unavailable sources

Reveals how the massacre continues to inform and shape French society today

Paris 1961

Algerians, State Terror, and Memory

Jim House and Neil MacMaster

Description

The massacre of Algerian demonstrators by the Paris police on the night of 17 October 1961 is one of the most contested events in contemporary French history. This book provides a multi-layered investigation of the repression through a critical examination of newly opened archives, oral sources, the press and contemporary political movements and debates. The roots of violence are traced back to counter-insurgency techniques developed by the French military in North Africa and introduced into Paris to crush the independence movement among Algerian migrant workers. The study shows how and why this event was rapidly expunged from public visibility in France, but was kept alive by immigrant and militant minorities, to resurface in a dramatic form after the 1980s. Through
this case-study the authors explore both the dynamics of state terror as well as the complex memorial processes by which these events continue to inform and shape post-colonial society.

Paris 1961

Algerians, State Terror, and Memory

Jim House and Neil MacMaster

Table of Contents

General IntroductionPart I: Colonial Violence and State Terror Introduction1. Papon and the Colonial Origins of Police Violence2. The FLN Counter-State and Police Repression 1958-19613. The Police Crisis and Terror July to 16 October 19614. The Demonstrations of 17 to 20 October 19615. The Political Crisis 18 October to 1 December 19616. Counting the Victims and Identifying the KillersPart II: Revisiting October and the Afterlives of Memory Introduction7. Contesting Colonial Repression 1945-19618. Fragmented Reactions to State Violence September-November 19619. The Marginalization of 17 October 1961 (1961-1968)10. 'Underground' Memories 1962-197911. Emergent Memories 1980-1997?12.
Ever-Present Memories?ConclusionBibliographyIndex